The Importance of Values and Ethics
Workplace ethics ensures a positive ambiance. They lead to happy and satisfied employees who enjoy coming to work rather than treating it, as just another job. Employees also develop a feeling of loyalty and attachment to the organization.
The goal defines why you do what you do, and the values determine how you act in the service of that goal. Values are an important part of a healthy work culture because they clarify the behavior of your organization and its employees. They provide the framework in which you can test decisions, perform tasks, and communicate with others.
Values help organizations determine a set of acceptable behaviors that define actions that are encouraged and unacceptable for both leaders and employees. The values tell the staff what is good for the organization and what is unhealthy.
When organizations explicitly define their true values, they immediately provide clarity for decision-making. They provide a reference point for recruitment processes, performance evaluations, and disciplinary actions. The values of an organization create useful boundaries for both employees and customers.
The importance of values and ethics in the workplace
The values of your workplace are the guiding principles that are most important to the way you work. You use these deep-rooted principles to choose between good and bad working methods, and they help you make important decisions and career choices.
Here are (potentially conflicting) examples of values / ethics in the workplace:
- Be responsible
- Make the difference
- Focus on the details
- Quality delivery
- Transparency
- Keep your promises
- To be reliable
- Be positive
- Respect deadlines
- Help others
- Be an excellent member of the team
- Respect others
- Show tolerance
Your organization’s workplace values set the tone for your company’s culture, and they identify what your organization, as a whole, cares about. It’s important that the teams’ values align with these.
Protects fundamental rights
When companies and employees think of the importance of workplace ethics, they usually think of protection against immoral behavior and illegal activities at work. But workplace ethics also protects fundamental human rights in the office.
Protects the assets of the company
Ethical workplace standards protect the company against employee theft of property and forgery of documents such as expense claims.
To protect company assets, it is essential to value employees’ contributions and to treat them fairly, properly, with dignity and respect. Employees who are proud of what they do feel their work is important in achieving the mission of the organization.
Offers emotional security
One of the biggest benefits of workplace ethics is that it provides emotional safety. Employees can work knowing that other peers and superiors will respect them and their work.